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| Winslow Townson / Associated Press |
| Tom Brady overcame another shaky start to lead the Patriots to a home win over the Falcons. |
It was over when ...
Patriots TE Chris Baker streaked down the right sideline and past Falcons LB Mike Peterson to haul in a 36-yard touchdown from Tom Brady. Stephen Gostkowski's extra point gave New England a 26-10 lead with 7:47 remaining.
Game ball
Running back Fred Taylor totaled 105 rushing yards on 21 carries, including the Patriots' first touchdown. It was Taylor's first as a member of the Patriots.
Key stat
Despite settling for four field goals in five visits inside the red zone, the Patriots did execute in some key situations. They went 7 for 10 on third-and-short situations and 3 for 3 on fourth downs. Much of that success was due to Taylor, who managed to grind out tough yards and fight for first downs against a Falcons defense that sorely missed starting NT Jeria Perry; the rookie was placed on injured reserve last week.
Noteworthy
The Patriots have not lost consecutive games since Weeks 9 and 10 of the 2006 season. ... Patriots WR Wes Welker was inactive for the second straight game with a knee injury. ... Patriots DT Vince Wilfork (ankle) and RB Laurence Maroney (thigh) were both injured in the first half and did not return. ... With his touchdown pass to Baker, Brady became the 27th player in NFL history to reach 200 passings TDs. ... Falcons QB Matt Ryan failed to throw a TD pass for the first time this season.
